HR – Procedure 105

Section 100
Proc. 105
Subject: Employment Status
Effective: 07/01/78
Revision (6): 07/01/2015

Procedure:

Determination of Employment status

  1. Staff Employment Status: Regular and temporary staff positions must be classified through the Human Resources Compensation Unit. Staff positions are classified in accordance with work performed.
  2. Faculty Employment Status: Faculty appointments, both tenure and non-tenure track, are under the governance of the Faculty Handbook.
  3. Student Employment Status: A student employee is one whose primary function is to be enrolled in an academic program and carries a job title from the Student Job Family. Refer to Policy/Procedure No: HRO165-Job Title Lists.
  4. Friend Status: Friends of the university are affiliates of the university who are not paid but serve as volunteers, honoraries, ORNL Affiliates, travelers, and/or Board of Trustees members.

Employment Information and Eligibility for Benefits

(A complete description of employee benefits is included in HRO Policies and Procedures – Section 300, Benefits )

  1. Regular Staff Employee
    • Full Time: A regular, full-time employee is hired in a position for a period of twelve months or more who are regularly scheduled to work 40 hours per week. A regular, full-time employee is eligible to participate fully in all benefits while in an active pay status.
    • Part Time: A regular, part-time employee is hired in a position established for a period of twelve months or more who are regularly scheduled to work less than 40 hours per week. A regular, part-time employee’s eligibility to participate in the university’s benefits program is dependent upon his/her percent of effort.
  2. Temporary Staff Employees: An employee hired on temporary basis (which is expected to be for a period of less than twelve months) is not eligible to participate in the university’s standard benefit program with the following exceptions: Worker’s Compensation, Unemployment Compensation, and the Medicare portion of Social Security. After being in an active pay status for six monthly or thirteen bi-weekly pay periods in any twelve-month period, a temporary employee will be covered by the full Social Security program, exempt as noted in HRO385-Social Security Benefits, and have the option to participate in a retirement plan.
  3. Faculty: All tenure and non-tenure track faculty employment status are under the governance of the Faculty Handbook (http://provost.utk.edu/facultyhandbook).
  4. Student: A student employee so designated does not receive benefits other than those legally required such as Worker’s Compensation. When terminating UT student employees, the procedures outlined in Hilltopics: A Student Handbook should be followed.
  5. Friends of the University: A friend does not receive benefits.